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Weddings

About

On WeddingWire since 2015

Last update: July 2024

The Fairmont Empress is a luxury hotel located in Victoria, British Columbia, that caters to wedding parties big or small. This hotel venue offers personalized, attentive service in a picturesque setting full of elegance and sophistication. The business has won a number of awards, including being named a Conde Nast Readers' Choice and Gold List hotel and Travel + Leisure's top Canadian hotel.

Facilities and capacity

The hotel has more than several event spaces, with both indoor and outdoor rooms. Some of the most noted rooms include The Crystal Ballroom, The Palm Court, The Ivy Ballroom, The Library, and The Rose Garden. The Crystal Ballroom is the venue's space with the highest maximum capacity, holding up to 280 guests. The 30-person capacity Library, meanwhile, best serves more intimate gatherings.

Services offered

Fairmont Empress offers a team to help couples plan their wedding at this location. Their services can be used to plan the following:

  • Bridal shower
  • Ceremony
  • Engagement party
  • Reception
  • Accommodations
  • Cake
  • Catering/bar
  • Event planning
  • Lighting/sound
  • Outside vendors

Other services

Aside from hosting weddings, the business is Vancouver Island’s largest convention and events destination. Guests can enjoy an afternoon tea, full-service spa, or fine dining experience. A wonderful elopement package is also available to all couples.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

2

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

5

Describe your venue:

Ballroom
Historic
Hotel
Marina
Restaurant

Describe the style of your venue:

City
Classic
Coastal
Garden
Glamorous
Vintage
Waterfront

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Uncovered outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal shower
Engagement party
Rehearsal dinner

What event services do you offer?

Accommodations
Bridal suite
Cake
Catering / bar
Event planning
Lighting / sound
Set up

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail reception
Dessert
Family style
Hors d'oeuvres
Outside cake
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Cash bar
Champagne toast
House wine
House liquor
Liquor license
Open bar
Premium liquor
Signature drink
Specialty beer
Specialty wine

What event items are available?

Aisle markers
Aisle runners
Audio equipment
Centerpieces
Chair covers
Dance floor
Decor
Drapery
Furniture
Lighting
Chairs
Tables
Tents

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
China
Chocolate fountain
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Valet
Wheelchair access

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$1,000

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$1,000

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$500

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$500

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Set up
Clean up
Event planning
Chairs
Tables
Linens
China
Flatware
Glassware
Lighting/sound
Bridal suite

What is the average catering price per person for plated service?

$75

What is the average catering price per person for buffet service?

$75

What is the average catering price per person for stations?

$35

What is the average catering price per person for hors d'oeurves?

$35

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Server(s)

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$35

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartenders
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Any other questions?

Reviews for Fairmont Empress

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.5 out of 5 rating
4.5 out of 5 rating
9 reviews
91% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.4 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.6 out of 5 rating
Rupinder
Rupinder K. Sent on 15/03/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing service

The Empress were able to accomodate us in a very shot notice when our other vendor double-booked the hall and didnt notified us. They were able to word around our budget and provided us the the best option available for our Reception. Everything was sublime and perfect from the food to the services provided by them. I would highly recommend them. Kimberely went above and beyond to make sure that everything was perfect.
Mahshid & Kayvan
Mahshid H. Sent on 05/08/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful venue.. Amazing services

It was super easy to plan a last minute wedding with the help of our amazing wedding coordinator, Florine. She is professional, friendly, knowledgeable, responsive and exceed our expectations. she helped us throughout the entire planning even with some vendor selection/recommendations. The team is super flexible. Our food and drinks were also excellent! We both had a pleasure working with this venue and highly recommend them.
Jaime
Jaime H. Sent on 01/08/2019
4.8 out of 5 rating

Wonderful luxury venue

We hosted our wedding at the Empress. My fiance and I stayed in the hotel 3 nights and our ceremony was in the Library with our reception in the Shanassey. We did a brunch buffet for our meal and also did our cake with their in house bakery.

The quality was amazing on all fronts. We had a wonderful time with excellent service. It wasn't cheap by any means but was worth it for an excellent experience. 😁
A
Ayda Sent on 10/12/2021
1 out of 5 rating

Unprofessional and Disappointing

We had a very disappointing and unexpected experience trying to coordinate our wedding at the Fairmont Empress. While dealing with the wedding manager Merina, we found her to be unavailable and unwilling to answer all of our questions. She kept many items vague, and by the end she was patronizing and disrespectful. We complained to the managers above her, whom at first tried to side with her, but later agreed that she had fallen short of the service expected from not just the Fairmont but any wedding venue provider. We were also disappointed in the Fairmont management as they didn’t start off by being sincere and apologetic, but only became so after we had to convince them and clearly highlight the unacceptable conduct and tone from Merina. Additionally, a mandatory wedding planner is required for this venue, as well as a 2 million dollar insurance policy by all vendors providing service for the hosts of the wedding. These facts were not mentioned but were present in the contract provided at the end. The whole process took 1.5 months and it strangely felt like we were inconveniencing the wedding manager for trying to host our venue there. We eventually concluded that the service we were receiving was not acceptable, and therefore it was not disheartening to move on. We found another beautiful venue which we finalized within 4 days, who were not only very helpful and available, but grateful for our business. We did not feel valued as clients throughout the whole process at the Empress and the unprofessional experience tarnished the image my fiancé and I once held of the Fairmont.
J
Joanna V. Sent on 04/10/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful wedding venue

Our wedding at the newly renovated Empress Hotel was incredible. The hotel is absolutely stunning and Victoria itself beautiful in September. The service from our wedding coordinator Florine was professional, responsive and exceed our expectations. Florine is the best wedding coordinator you could ask for! She was knowledgeable and made helpful recommendations to us. She is also incredible nice and a pleasure to work with. Our food and drinks were also excellent.
V
Victoria Sent on 30/09/2019
5 out of 5 rating

A True Fairytale Wedding

We are so happy we chose the Empress as our wedding venue! Our wedding was truly a dream come true and it was absolutely perfect in a large part due to the amazing work of the team at the Empress.

Our wedding coordinator Florine was an absolute pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of for our special day and she made a fantastic team together with our wedding planners Anouk Fitzner and Emma McCormick at The Good Party!

We had our ceremony in the Library, which is a perfect space for a very small and intimate wedding like ours was. Our reception was in the Shaughnessy Ballroom, which is a beautiful space with lovely columns and a very classic feel. We also had our rehearsal dinner in the Bengal Lounge, a wonderful historic space perfect for a family gathering. The food at the Empress is exceptional, and we received so many compliments from our guests. We were accommodated in a very romantic and beautiful harbour view suite, which was so memorable and a great background for getting-ready photos.

We would very highly recommend the Empress, and we believe that it is definitely one of the best wedding venues in the world! Thank you so much Florine and your team for making our special day absolutely perfect!
B
Bruce Sent on 01/07/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Naiomi & Bruce's Wedding

The Empress was first class all the way from beginning to end! They were friendly, flexible, professional and very easy to work with. The service was top-notch and the food was beyond amazing!

The Empress wedding planner, Florine, was so easy to work with and worked so well with our wedding planner Emma McCormick at The Good Party! With the two of them working together we knew that we didn't have to worry about a thing except to enjoy our day together with family and friends.

We would highly recommend the Fairmont Empress and their team with Florine to anyone looking for an amazing venue and experience!

Naiomi & Bruce
A
Aggie S. Sent on 14/06/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Magical wedding venue

We toured a few dozen venues around Vancouver Island & sunshine coast, but nothing compared to the Empress - stunning renovations, attentive service, iconic location, and simply beautiful spaces for our wedding. The entire team (doormen, concierge, housekeeping, banquet servers, etc) at the Empress impressed us with attention to detail and exceptional service. Big shout out to Lisa and the absolutely wonderful Florine!

Our wedding day went off without a hitch - our guests loved the food, atmosphere, Empress Gin, and the delicious GF wedding cake. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.

We are already looking forward to spending our anniversary here!
P
Priscilla C. Sent on 04/09/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing staff and services

The services at the Fairmont was top notch! The staff was very friendly, from the valets, to the bellhops, to the front desk, to the banquet captains, event coordinators, servers, etc. Everyone went over and above to make our wedding as effortless and memorable as possible. The event coordinator I was assigned, Nicole, was very helpful and she was always available by phone or email. and responded in a very timely manner. She also helped break down information for me whenever I had no idea or understanding. For the pricing as well, everything was very reasonable and they helped detail charges to the cent. Definitely recommend here for a venue and also recommend their onsite AV company for mics, uplights, etc.
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Awards

9

Fairmont Empress Real Weddings

Bailey & Jordan
74 Photos · 15/Oct/2022
Rupinder & Dhyan
17 Photos · 11/Sep/2021
Banquet Menu 2024

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Map

721 Government Street V8W 1W5 Victoria (British Columbia)
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